Improvement in machines for unloading flat cars



G. S. CALDWELL.

Machines for Unloading Flat-Cars.

NO. 138,476. Patented May 6,1873.

V WITNESSES: INVENTOR UNITED STATES A'IENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. CALDWELL, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

IMPRQVEMENT lN MACHINES FOR UNLOADING FLAT CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,476, dated May 6,1873 application filed September 4, 1872.

I York, have invented a Machine for Unload ing Platform-Cars, of whichthe following is a specification i My invention relates to a machine forunloading gravel, dirt, or other material,fron1 the ordinaryplatform-cars used upon railroads.

The drawing represents an elevation, showing the machine upon its track,as seen diagonally from the front.

A is the front part of the machine, which is triangular in shape. I formthe sides thereof of plank, and so arranged as to meet and form an angleof about forty-five degrees at their junction, in front; but I do notintend to confine myself to any particular angle, as that may be variedas desired; the more acute the angle the less will be the resistance inremoving the load. When it is intended to have the load equally divided,one-half thereof to be deposited upon each side of the car, in thatcase, these sides of the triangular parts of the machine should be madeof equal lengths, so that the front point thereof will pass along andover the center line of the platform ofthe car, and thus divide its loadin two equal parts; but if it shall be desired to divide the loadunequally, then the sides of this triangular part should be made ofunequal lengths, as it is obvious that if either side shallbelengthened, the other must be correspondingly shortened, and thus varythe proportion of the load, which will be discharged from the respectivesides of the platform. In case it should be desired to discharge all theload over one side of the platform, the front part of the machine shouldbe formed of one straight piece, made to stand oblique to the frame, soas to remove the load all in one direction, and thus discharge it overone side only of the platform. The length of these side pieces mustnecessarily be such as that they will sweep over the whole width of theplatform. They may be sheathed with iron, or, if made of hard wood, astrip of iron upon the lower part thereof, extending down sufficientlyfar so as to sweep as near as practicable to the surface of the platformWithout coming in contact therewith, will answer. a a are notches formedin the triangular front part thereof, and to resist,

the strain caused by the pressure of the material to be removed. Thismachine, when thus constructed, I place upon two or more pairs ofwheels, so constructed as to run upon the rails E E, and with flanges tokeep them thereon-in other words, shaped like the ordinary railroad-carwheels. E E are iron rails, for which I use the ordinary railroad-ironrails. These rails are laid lengthwise of the platform of the car andparallel with the center line thereof. They should be of such length soas to extend beyond the ends of the platform so far as to reach withinabout a quarter of an inch of a point in a line perpendicular to theface of the bumper-blocks H H of the car, as shown at b b, so that, whenthe bumper blocks of two connected cars meet, the ends of the rails uponthese cars will reach to within about half an inch of each other, thusforming a continuous track over the whole train, however numerous thecars composing it. D is the key used for winding up the brake, and is soconstructed and arranged that it may be removed at pleasure, and thusleave an unobstructed space over which the machine may traverse. F is astandard firmly fastened upon the forward end of the forward car of thetrain. Upon the top of this standard aroller may be placed, over whichthe rope by which the machine is drawn forward passes. This roller isplaced at such height above the platform of the car so as to correspondin height with thepulley '0, through which the rope passes, in order toallow the draft to be in a line parallel with the upper surface of theplatform, and thus prevent the drawing down of the front end of themachine when in operation. I Iis the rope by which themachine is drawnforward. One end of this rope is firmly aflixed to the standard F, andthe ropeis extended thence to the pulley 0, through which it is passed,and is returned thence to and over the roller upon the top of the saidstandard, having a coupling-link, G, attached to the other end thereoffor the purpose of being used to connect the rope with the locomotive.The object of thus arranging the rope is to pull the cars toward eachother at the same time that the machine is drawn forward, andthusbringing the bumper-blocks of connecting cars in contact, so that theends of the iron rails upon those adjoining cars shall approach as nearas practicable toward each other, and at the same time preventing thecars from moving forward during the process of unloading. K is anapparatus firmly secured to the upper part of the front of the machine,to which the pulley C is coupled. This apparatus is so arranged as that,by pressing down upon a lever, the pulley O is immediately uncoupled,and the forward movement of the machine thereby arrested at the pleasureof the operator. This apparatus is the same as that ordinarily used uponcanal-boats for casting off the tow-line. J J is the platform of anordinary platform-car.

Having thus fully described my invention, I will now state the operationthereof. The machine being placed upon the rails at the rear end of therear car of the train, and the coupling-link G being connected with thelocomotive in the usual manner, the locomotive, havin g been firstdetached from the train, is moved forward, and as the locomotive movesit draws upon the rope I I. The first effect of this will be to draw thecars composing the train together until the bumper-blocks come incontact, and then the machine will be moved forward, and as it is movedforward the wings or side pieces of the frontpart will press the gravelor other material upon the platform toward and over the sides thereof,and thus unload the cars. 1 If it should so happen that any of the railsupon any one of the cars should, by reason of the position of the carupon the railroad track, not be in line with the rails upon the carsimmediately connected therewith, and

over which the machine was passing, it is obvious that when the frontpart of the machine should be sufficiently advanced so that the lowerpart of the side thereof should press against the rail with which itshall first come in contact, it will press against the side of that railand force that end of the car in the proper direction until the railsthereon shall be brought in line with those upon the car over which thewheels of the machine are passing, and thus enable the machine to passonto that car. When the machine shall have reached so far as to haveremoved the material from the entire train, by uncoupling the pulley 0its forward movement will be immediately arrested, and it may then bemoved by handwhicl1 is easily done by two men-to the place at the rearof the train from which it started, and the train is then ready to betaken by the locomotive for another load; and thus a train of twentyordinary-sized platform-cars may be unloaded within the space of fiveminutes, which, if done by hand, would require the labor of eighty menfor the space of at least forty minutes.

Having thus described my invention and the operation thereof, what Iclaim as my invention is-- 1. In combination with one or more cars forcarrying earth or other material, the scraper, with wheels thereunderupon which it is supported and carried, and the rails or guides forguiding and directing said scraper over or upon said cars, as and forthe purpose described.

2. In combination with a series of cars for carrying earth or othermaterial, having guidin g-rails with their ends extended so as to form apermanent and continuous track throughout the series of cars, with ascraper having supporting-wheels to run and be guided on said rails, asand for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the attachment k with the scraper, as and for thepurpose described.

GEO. S. CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

DAVID WRIGHT, EDW. G. MARVIN.

